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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.346936740Best CPU to BUY: Q4 2018https://www.hardwarebbq.com/best-cpu-to-buy-q4-2018/
https://www.hardwarebbq.com/best-cpu-to-buy-q4-2018/#commentsSat, 29 Sep 2018 06:36:05 +0000https://www.hardwarebbq.com/?p=40061Contrary to the past, choosing a CPU is relatively easy for veteran users because of easy access to information and clear-cut guides. AMD stepping up to the plate after so many years made it easier to choose. This guide is nothing more than a supplement in helping you narrow down your choices. In some countries, a ...

]]>Contrary to the past, choosing a CPU is relatively easy for veteran users because of easy access to information and clear-cut guides. AMD stepping up to the plate after so many years made it easier to choose. This guide is nothing more than a supplement in helping you narrow down your choices. In some countries, a combo purchase of a motherboard and a CPU could get you a small discount. I’ve heard in some stores around India, retailers refuse to sell either the CPU or motherboard separately which is strange and wrong at the same time. But there are many stores out there and there are online options.

While we are making a recommendation for CPUs, we also have to consider the feature sets motherboard chipsets provides, in entry-level, mid-end and high-end category. As an example, AMD B and the X series chipsets allow overclocking, but that’s not the case with Intel B series chipset. However, seeing the premium unlocked CPU carries, it is a little bit challenging to recommend. While the no-brainer would be to recommend motherboard combos, there are multiple brands with multiple options. It is not realistic for one to evaluate all motherboards available in the market. Some brands have non-gaming branded motherboards which are regurgitated into gaming sub-brands with a different colour scheme, sink design and maybe some RGB headers.

Click on the tabs below as per your requirement.

Upper mid-end choice: AMD Ryzen 5 2600

I am recommending the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 as the top choice for the mid-range computers- ranging between gaming, multi-tasking workload and even streaming. Co-incidentally a lot of streamers would opt for mid-segment CPUs since it serves their process. AMD second generation Ryzen six-core-twelve thread with base/boost clock of 3.4GHz/3.9Ghz is perfect. The least talked about the part is that generally, AMD provides a better-bundled (for a stock) CPU cooler compared to Intel. Unlike the good old days, most people do not overclock, but you can always bump the UEFI set to run the clock speed to 3.9 GHz at all times if you have that need to. The best part is the ability to pair it with varieties of motherboards- AMD B350, X370 with the newer BIOS update to the new B450 and X470 chipset. It wouldn’t make sense for a lot of people with a lot of use case to opt for X series chipset motherboard, but the options and the choices are there.

When you look at the price and its multi-threaded performance, you narrow it down to a Ryzen SKU such as the Ryzen 5 2600.

The middle-man: AMD Ryzen 5 2400G

You can consider a four-core eight-thread unlocked APU. The Ryzen 5 2400G is a very balanced option. On-chip graphics is for many games in low-to-mid settings at 1080p with Vega 11 integrated graphics. This is also a ‘safe haven’ APU for those who can build a PC but want to grab a graphics card at a later date. It makes a better sense than getting a non-on-chip graphics with a low-end graphics card. We have not tested the GT1030, but the 2400G is the ideal choice. In a way, it would help to free up some money for rams (how about a 16GB 3200MHz DDR4?) or an SSD.

Not-sure-where mid-end CPU: Intel Core i5 8400

This Intel Core i5 8400 somewhere…somehow. This is a six-core-six-thread CPU. It is good for a gaming PC who won’t overclock or have a specific single-thread performance. Also, if for some reason, you’re uptight for Intel-only for whatever odd reason, God bless you!

The pricing and offering favour Ryzen 5 2600. Ryzen option gives two-threads per core against Intel with one-thread per core. Intel option does provide better single-threaded performance more suited for a 100% gaming PC. This might change with the upcoming Intel 9xxx series, so we might replace this if that happens within Q4 2018. This is, of course, depending on how favourable the pricing is. Intel will have to re-learn the art of competitive pricing since AMD has become very active towards the DIY PC market.

There can be only one…because there is only one!

Once upon a time, both Intel and AMD had fierce competition one generation after the other. All of a sudden something happened to AMD and Intel became mostly the default option for the high end. It wasn’t a clean sweep for entry-level to mid-end since AMD had Phenom II chips- 550/555BE which had the change to unlock into quad cores. Then there’s the X4 965BE and the FX-8350.

But now…

AMD Ryzen 3 2200G

It would be an understatement, to say the least, AMD caught Intel with its pants down in the open-ish field of the entry-level CPU market. We have stuff like Intel Core i3-8350K. It did not make any sense as it did not fit anywhere. The novelty of overclocking this entry-level CPUs is only on the expensive Z370 chipset made it ridiculous! This is a collector’s item(like the Pentium Anniversary G3258?) without the collector’s label on it.

Take a look at the Ryzen 3 2200G. Under this price bracket, you get an APU just a tad below 2400G. This is a four-core-four thread unlocked CPU with Vega 8 on-chip graphics. You have the B350 with a bios update and B450 for good pricing. There is something to work on! Not really something I would consider for on-chip graphics gaming even in mid-settings for 1080p, but its there. This also makes sense for a feature loaded non-gaming pc build systems like a general purpose PC or an HTPC.

Intel Core i3 8100

I hope things look good with the upcoming Intel entry-level CPUs. But they need to enable overclocking on entry-level motherboard chipsets.

(Edit: 01.10.2018): Daniel Gianstefani via the comments suggested the Core i3 8100 and it is a valid suggestion. The Core i3-8100 is something you can look at. Just like the mid-end option, you do get a better single-threaded option. It is a bit expensive compared to the Ryzen 3 2200G. But both of that argument goes out the window if you are using a discrete graphics card. I never built a system with it nor I had a chance to test it. Happens to the best and rest of us. That’s why always read the comments!

For those who have single dual high-end GPU setups with GTX 1080/GTX 1080Ti, 144Hz monitor or monitors with VR headsets, you want the best possible experience you can get with overclocking option. There are two simple options: The Ryzen 7 2700X and the Core i7-8700K. There’s a good why we slotted this towards the end. But not everybody buys high-end just for gaming. There are other heavy workloads.

OPTION 1: Intel Core i7-8700K

The Core i7 8700K gets you the performance of up to 4.7GHz via turbo. But if you are buying something like this, you will be geared towards overclocking. This is the highest/best possible mainstream CPU you can get from Intel until the 9xxx series are out.

OPTION 2: AMD Ryzen 7 2700X

The Ryzen 7 2700X is an eight-core-sixteen-thread bulldozer- no pun intended.

Between the two- the Core i7-8700K is somewhat faster for gaming performance but not a big deal enough to regret Ryzen 7 2700X purchase at all. What makes this difficult is while the Intel offering is a little expensive than the Ryzen 7 2700X, the motherboard pricing balances both of them (again- depending on the local pricing and availability). The main benefit that favours the Ryzen 7 2700X is with heavy workloads that benefit from a multi-threaded performer.
As you can see, this is where it stands.

Disclosure: All the Amazon links here are affiliate links. When you purchase something through our website, we get a small kickback from the sales at no extra cost on you. It is a small drop in the ocean, but the commission helps us to fund the website and push quality content. If you want to support a website like ours, this is the best you can do. Money earned from such sources helps us to buy the tools needed for testing. Of course, you are not obligated to use our affiliate links, but I am very happy to guide you in the right direction. Irrespective of your location, the recommendations as per your requirement and budget is universal. Hardware BBQ is Your Source for PC hardware news, reviews guides and recommendations.

Neither AMD nor Intel (or its PR agencies and partners) have supplied any review units, and therefore whatever testing we have done is by CPUs from various sources.

]]>https://www.hardwarebbq.com/best-cpu-to-buy-q4-2018/feed/740061Stocksucks.in/Hardware BBQ PC Build Guide- Summer ’11https://www.hardwarebbq.com/stocksucks-inhardware-bbq-pc-build-guide-summer-11/
https://www.hardwarebbq.com/stocksucks-inhardware-bbq-pc-build-guide-summer-11/#commentsThu, 03 Mar 2011 07:07:00 +0000http://hardwarebbqtestimport.wordpress.com/2011/03/03/stocksucks-inhardware-bbq-pc-build-guide-summer-11Its that time of the year where people are ready to ready to cash it in for a new PC! All those folks in Mumbai: Don’t know what to choose and what hardware to look at? Harshal Tank of Stocksucks.in and I spent sometime at Lamington Road to keep you one step ahead for your ...

Its that time of the year where people are ready to ready to cash it in for a new PC! All those folks in Mumbai: Don’t know what to choose and what hardware to look at?

Harshal Tank of Stocksucks.in and I spent sometime at Lamington Road to keep you one step ahead for your PC Purchase decisions. Credits to the good folks at Prime ABGB, Lamington Road who were able to hook us up with good combo deals, updates on stocks and availability.

Note: The prices that we’ve collected was on 25-02-2011. We’ve seen a lot of times when demand increases, so does the price. Some will remember when VX450 was increased from 3.2k to 4.2k and then lowered down when newer Rev versions came out since a year ago.

I’ve called up Prime ABGB (04-03-2011) and the i3 540+ MLX combo has increased to 9.1k about 2-3 days ago. We went to Prime because we are familiar with them and as far as experience goes, they have the patience to inform us about the prices. It will be different in other stores, cities, etc.

Now, keep in mind that we have made this guide based on what hardware is available in Mumbai and great combo deals are available out there. Despite few motherboards being well-known for its value and offerings, they have been out-of-stock (and one of them not being in India even though it is put up in certain online stores).

PC for Rs. 25,000/-

Hardware

Brand+ Specs

Price

Processor+ Motherboard combo

Core i3 540+ Asus P7H55 MLX

Rs. 8800

Memory

1x 2GB Mushkin 1333mhz DDR3 Ram

Rs. 2,200

Storage

Western Digital Blue 500GB

Rs. 1,750

GPU

Onboard

N.A.

Power Supply

Corsair CX-430

Rs. 2,500

DVD RW

HP 1135i

Rs. 1,000

PC Chassis

NZXT Gamma

Rs. 2,000

Keyboard+ Mouse Combo

Microsoft Bundle

Rs. 650

LCD

Dell IN2020M

Rs. 6800

Required Add-on

DVI Cable

Rs. 200

Total:

Rs. 25,900/-

If you want to play some of the currently available PC games without spending a lot, Consider grabbing a Sapphire 5670 512MB that currently costs Rs. 4,700. But if you have a good speaker set and if the onboard sound card just doesn’t cut it, You’re getting Azuntech X-Studio 5.1 for Rs. 3200.

i3 540 consumes less power on load and Idle, on top of it the i3 processor can decode 1080p with bitstream support.

NZXT Gamma is a large case for its price with a really good paint job both externally and internally with a good overall construction for Rs. 2,000 its surely something to grab.

PC for Rs. 30,000/- to Rs. 50,000/-

Hardware

Brand+ Specs

Price

Processor+ Motherboard combo

955BE+ Gigabyte 880GM UD2H

11,000/-

Memory

4GB (2GBX2) 1600MHz DDR3 G Skills

Rs. 2800/-

Storage

Western Digital Blue 500GB

Rs. 1,750/-

GPU

Onboard

N.A.

Power Supply

Corsair CX-430

2,500/-

DVD RW

HP 1135i

1000/-

PC Chassis

NZXT Gamma

2000/-

Keyboard+ Mouse Combo

Microsoft Bundle

650/-

LCD

Dell IN2020M

6800/-

Required Add-on

DVI Cable

250/-

Total:

28,750/-

Looking for an extra for processor heavy application? Here’s the rig. 955+BE and 880GM is a really good combo for what its worth. Hook it up with a 4gig G Skill and you’re all set.

But if you’re looking out for gaming as well, its best if you grab a bit better power supply. You’re getting Antec EA 430 for Rs. 3400 which you can pair it up with Sapphire 5750 as mentioned above for Rs. 4,700. Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5770 / 1GB GDDR5 retails for Rs. 7,500 or MSI 6850 1GB DDR5 for Rs. 11,000 which you can pair it up with a Corsair VX550 for Rs. 4800/-. Depending on what graphic card+ power supply combo you’re choosing, anyone with under 50k budget will be content with the rig.

PC for Rs.55,000/- to Rs. 80,000/-

At the time of putting this together, there is no B3 Rev Intel P67 chipsetboards available (yet). Despite the whispers and expectations set by many sources, we’re suggesting an alternate incase you have to grab a rig now.

Hardware

Brand+ Specs

Price

Processor+ Motherboard combo

AMD X4 965BE+ Asus 890GTD PRO/USB3

Rs. 16,500/-

Memory

4GB (2GBX2) 1600MHz DDR3 G Skills

Rs. 2,800/-

Primary Storage

OCZ Vertex 2 60GB SSD

Rs. 6,800/-

Secondary Storage

Seagate 7200.12 RPM 2TB

Rs. 4,450/-

GPU

MSI 6850/Zotac GTX 460

Rs. 12,000/-

Power Supply

Corsair HX 650

Rs Rs. 7500/-

DVD RW

HP DVD Combo

Rs. 1,000/-

PC Chassis

NZXT Tempest EVO

Rs. 5,600/-

Keyboard+ Mouse Combo

Razer Cyclosa (with Abyssus 1800dpi mouse)

Rs. 2,200/-

LCD

BenQ G2420

Rs. 11,300/-

Total:

Rs. 70,150/-

Looking for a powerhorse? There she is!!

Looking for something under 70k? Ditch the SSD is a no brainer for some so if you can live without it, ditch it. NZXT Tempest EVO for 5.6k is brilliant. The case is HUGE for its price+ space+ built and comes with all the cooling fans you ever require. But if you don’t require the case, switch to NZXT Gamma for 2k. You can also replace the motherboard+ processor combo for 955BE+ Gigabyte 880GM UD2H as its priced for Rs. 11,000. However bear in mind that you’re loosing out on USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s ports if you’re going down this road. Also keep in mind about the motherboard’s layout as it might block couple of SATA ports.

If you belong to previously grean now turned to the red team, ATi 6870 from Sapphire costs Rs. 14,000/-. You get Dell U2311H IPS panel for Rs. 14,000/-. Want to overclock? Noctua U12PSE2 currently costs Rs. 3,600/- and comes with all the stuff you will need.